If you are planning to open a new branch or expand your agency, this article explains when you need a separate branch in Birdie versus using Groups to organise teams within your existing hub. You will learn the requirements, how the process works, and why it's important to contact us before you expand.
Get in touch with your Partner Care Team
Before opening a new branch with Birdie, you will need to contact your Partner Care team or Customer Success Manager first. This ensures we set up a new hub correctly from the start, and you can avoid any unnecessary manual work.
2. Groups vs Branches in Birdie- which is best for you?
You may not necessarily need a new branch if you can utilise the groups feature. Groups and branches serve different purposes in Birdie:
Groups allow you to organise your agency into different teams, locations, or areas within a single agency hub. For example, you might create groups for:
Different geographical areas (North Team, South Team)
Different service types (Domiciliary Care Team, Live-in Care Team)
Different office locations within the same CQC registration
With Groups: all your clients and carers stay in one system, but you can filter your view to focus on specific teams. Carers can be assigned to multiple groups, will receive one consolidated payslip, and everyone shares the same agency data and resources.
With a new branch: means creating a completely separate agency hub with its own data, users, and settings. Carers would also receive separate payslips from each branch. This is typically needed when you have separate CQC registrations, as CQC guidance requires that one registered agency cannot access another registered agency's data.
3. New branch criteria
If your teams operate under the same CQC registration, use Groups to organise your agency. Only request a new branch if you have a separate CQC registration. This is because one CQC-registered agency cannot see another CQC-registered agency's data.
Before requesting a new branch, our team will need to establish:
1. Do you have 2 separate CQC registrations?
This must be a completely separate registration, not just a new location under the same registration.
If yes, we can create a new branch. Continue to step 2
If no, we will not create a new branch. Instead, we will keep you on the same interface and turn on the Groups feature if you do not have it already
2. How will you pay for the new branch?
Option 1: Under your existing subscription - We will create a new child company under your existing parent company
Option 2: Separate payment - We will pass your request to sales to create a new contract, and the agency will be onboarded as usual
4. Information needed for a new branch
Contact your Partner Care team or Customer Success Manager with the following information:
Confirmation or proof that you have 2 separate CQC registrations
Your preferred payment method (existing subscription or separate payment)
The name of your new branch
The CQC registration number for the new branch
Our team will then create your new branch and guide you through the next steps.
5. What to expect after requesting a new branch
Once approved, our team will:
Create the branch on the Birdie agency hub
Enrol you in the digital onboarding journey if you are already live
Add the branch to your Birdie Analytics licence if you use it
Need help?
If you have further questions about this process, please contact your Partner Care team or Customer Success Manager. You can reach Birdie Support by clicking the speech bubble icon in the bottom right of the Agency Hub, or by emailing [email protected].